Who is Suresh? That's what I was wondering when a West Virginia Public Radio listener suggested I listen to his album Two Hundred Sixty-One, Vol. 1.
Here’s a little preview:
"If I sell 1 million copies of my 1st album (Physical CDs OR complete album downloads on CDBaby or iTunes) by October 23, 2009, I will donate $2,000,000 to the Canadian Cancer Society." - Suresh
This is a bold project. I set up an interview with Suresh to find out more – about his background, the music that he plays, and what inspired this wild bit of enlightened self-interest.
Here are the basics: Suresh Singaratnam is a Canadian trumpet player, who plays classical and jazz. He's also recent graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, an idealist, and one heck of a marketer.
We started out talking about what he hopes to accomplish, how he's using social media and how he balances releasing his own album with time to practice music. The responses he's received, both positive and negative, have affected how he approaches this project.
Suresh on Twitter, Facebook, and the 261 Days project
Behind all of these promotional efforts, there's the music itself. Suresh spoke about what drew him to this music, from an old trumpet favorite like the Carnival of Venice to an arrangement inspired by hearing Maria Callas on a friend’s iPod.
Suresh talks about the music on "261 Days, vol. 1"
We also talked more about Suresh’s musical background, which led to stories about how Star Trek: The Next Generation played a part in him pursuing music as a career and his repeated encounters throughout his youth with Wynton Marsalis.
Suresh's musical background, interest in classical and jazz, and future plans